


you should be sad.

by legally_blonde



Series: Jukebox Love Story [4]
Category: That '70s Show
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:09:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24321088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/legally_blonde/pseuds/legally_blonde
Summary: Jackie lets Hyde know he's not half the man he thinks that he is.
Relationships: Jackie Burkhart/Steven Hyde
Series: Jukebox Love Story [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1728451
Kudos: 34





	you should be sad.

**You should be sad**

* * *

Hyde had walked out of his bedroom to begin another pathetic day of watching The Match Game and making his way through the rest of the beer he bought yesterday. He was wondering which of his friends would make their way down to the basement today. Kelso’s been in Chicago for a few weeks, Eric was still in Africa, and Fez has been busy at the hair salon. He figures he should probably go down to Grooves and get some work done himself, but he doesn’t feel like it. Perks of being the boss. That left Donna and Jackie. Jackie hadn’t shown her face in the basement in weeks. Probably for the best really. It was eating away at him how mean he’s been to her. He never liked to make her upset, but it was for the best really. He didn’t deserve her – he royally fucked up her life for the last time. Especially after their misstep two months ago.

They were always careful – he didn’t believe in God; but man, did he pray every time he pulled. It was a moment of weakness for the both of them. She had just found out her dad wasn’t getting paroled any time soon and he had gotten a letter from the medical examiner’s office in some podunk town that Edna was dead. The way she had stormed in the basement he knew something was up, and the way she looked at him meant no amount of Zen could hide his news. They had smoked and drank way too much to dull the pain, and one thing had led to another. He felt stupid like Kelso, but finally Mother Nature gave Jackie a gift, and he felt relief. Then things got real bad. He doubled down on his attitude toward her, started bringing random girls into the basement while she was here then making a show of bringing them to his room. Things got close to violent at a point, and then she disappeared.

He went to sit down on his chair when he saw an envelope that had his name written in Jackie’s girly cursive on the front. How the hell didn’t he hear her come in? She was always announcing herself and clomping around in those platforms she loved so much. He stared at the envelope for a while, nervous to open it. What the hell should he be nervous about? She’s just some chick who tried to change him and got her panties in a wad when it didn’t work.

He let out a long sigh, knowing that wasn’t true. Jackie would never be ‘some chick.’ Those random girls he had here meant nothing, and he never ended up sleeping with them. He’d give them some weed, and they’d be on their way. He just wanted to make her hurt, like he was hurting. He went too far.

He ripped open the envelope like ripping off a band-aid.

‘ _Steven,_

_Let me start this off by saying, I really meant well from the start. Take a broken man right in my hands and then put back all his parts. But you’re not half the man you think that you are, and you can’t fill the hole inside of you with drugs, girls and cars. I’m so glad I never ever had a baby with you, ‘cause you can’t love nothing unless there’s something in it for you._

_Oh, I feel so sad. I tried to help you, it just made you mad. I had no warning, about who you are. Just glad I made it out without breakin’ down, and I’m running so far. I’m not coming back, Steven. This is it. You won’t hear from me again._

_You should be sad.’_

Steven couldn’t believe what he read. She was gone. He should be thrilled, but he wasn’t. He never expected it to get this far. Like Mrs. Foreman said, he pushed the people he cared about away. It made sense he pushed Jackie this far, he cared about her more than he cared about anyone else. She didn’t even tell him where she’s going. Hell, she didn’t even sign it. That’s how done she is with him. There wasn’t even a sliver of hope that he could still win her back.

“Damn it!” he yelled, throwing his beer can at the wall just as Donna and Randy walked into the basement.

“What’s got you in a rage?”

“Uh,” he said, trying to be zen and come up with a lie, but he couldn’t. He was too upset. “Jackie’s gone.”

“Gone?” Randy asked.

“Gone for good, no idea where,” he said, waving the letter in his hand. “All I got was this giant fuck you.”

“That’s more than you deserve,” Donna muttered as she grabbed the letter from him. She knew about it, knew where Jackie went, but promised to stay quiet. She owed her that much.

“Yeah because you were such a great friend to her during all this,” Hyde scoffed as he grabbed the letter back and gently put it back in the envelope.

“I made my mistakes, I know. Excuse me for trying to make _your_ mistake feel welcome because you obviously weren’t getting rid of her until she left herself.”

“Yeah, blame it all on me,” he said angrily as he opened another beer.

“You married Sam, Hyde! You broke Jackie’s heart! You told us you were going to say yes!”

“And then she slept with Kelso.”

“She didn’t, and you know that,” Donna said. “And if you pulled your head out of your ass long enough you’ll realize you self-sabotaged hard because you knew you wanted to spend the rest of your life with Jackie and it scared the shit out of you.”

“At least I didn’t leave her at the alter and fly off to Africa.”

“No, you married a stripper and flaunted her as your wife, that’s way worse, dillhole,” Donna said, standing up to leave.

“Donna,” he sighed, trying his best to keep it together. “Where’d she go?”

“I don’t know,” she lied. Randy had left the basement when he saw Hyde emotional, figuring it wasn’t his place to see this.

“Will she come back?”

“I don’t know,” she told him, and that was the truth. Jackie was hurt and she was done. She had told her last night her plans and made her promise not to tell anyone where she was going until she was ready to do it herself.

“I didn’t think she’d leave,” he said to no one in particular, wiping at his eyes. “Fuck it. Everyone else has abandoned me.”

“You forced her hand, Hyde. She would have never abandoned you if you didn’t put her in this position,” Donna said, shaking her head at him. “Jackie’s right. You should be sad.”

Hyde barely heard Donna slam the door on his way out. He put down his beer on the table and rested his head in his hands, his palms digging in his eyes. For the first time in years, he let himself cry for what he’s lost.

**Author's Note:**

> Song: You should be sad - Halsey
> 
> Happy Friday everyone! Little more angsty than I'm used to but I kept hearing the song and the inspiration hit. The next two chapters are not as angsty, so if this isn't so much your thing, still come by next Friday for a new update.
> 
> Let me know what you think, any song ideas, any constructive criticism. I love reading all your comments.
> 
> Thanks for reading!!


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